The William Fritz Theater Production Blog

Lars Jan @ EMPAC in Studio1

Ξ June 2nd, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

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Going to USITT

Ξ March 13th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

Getting ready this weekend, and packing for this years conference in Cinccinatti. I will post some pictures and notes of what I learned, and maybe a selection of new gadgets.

Sending from iPod

Ξ November 1st, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

I can now keep updated anywhere. I can blog from my iPod touch at work and play. This is a quick test.

New Job @ EMPAC

Ξ October 26th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

Since the end of September I have been working at the Experimental Performing Arts Center at the RPI campus in Troy, NY. I was hired on as the Master Carpenter / Rigger, and put in a lot of time since then. With the Grand Opening the first week of October there was and still is a lot to finish in the building. There are walls, floors, wiring, doors still undone, and we are working around contractors at the same time we are trying to open productions. For those of you who do not know of EMPAC, it is high tech group of theaters, for combining research and production. There is a 1200 seat concert hall, and 400 seat proscenium theater, and two black box type studio spaces, all spaces with adjustable acoustics, and automated rigging, and lighting. The most high tech theater I have ever been in, that any one has been in. When the seasons get into swing I will try to show what we are up to. Oh, and during the start of all this I opened two shows one at Home Made Theater, and one at Curtain Call; can you say busy.

Albany, Capital Region, not the Arts town

Ξ August 23rd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

Again I am reminded how the capital region is not the arts town people expect it to be. I also include the Saratoga Area in this region. First I went to the New York City Ballet, and the audience was only quarter full. Again it was raining, but that should not keep people from going out and seeing Ballet under cover. Then I attended another dance show at the Egg; Ajkun Ballet’s annual production after their month residency. This attendance was even worse than the NYC Ballet. There was probably no more than 50 in the house, and I know that at least 10 were complimentary tickets. What does the arts have to do to bring in the audiences?
I hope it does not come down to the same results as Buffalo’s theater district. I heard Studio Arena hade to close up their season at the end of February, and let go 15 or more of their staff, and a debt of almost 3 million.
Some say we are going into a recession, I say we are already there. I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Go see a production, or go to the museum today.

As Yall Like It- One More Week

Ξ July 20th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

The first week of “As Yall Like It” has gone really well. With Monday off we are back into the second week with Tuesday’s 6:00 show. See www.Saratogashakespeare.com
This year it was decided to keep the set simple, and use what the park already has. Again just finishing the show for Union College, I noticed how the show does not need a second level or balcony as other of Shakespeare’s play do. Therefore we kept the stage to the one floor, and set it right in front of one of the trees in the park. Since most of the show is in the forest of Arden; why not take advantage of what nature has put there for us. We added simple fences, and dressed the stage with bails of straw to complete the look and feel of a ranch, which the director was trying to portray. For the final touch I placed twinkle lights into the tree to enhance the romantic feeling at the end for the entrance of Hyman and the couples to be wed. Oops, was that a spoiler? Again the interns did a great job, sure it was a smaller set than normal, but we also had a shorter build time. With my crew in the shop of 2 we had the fence built by day one, and once the hardboard for the floor was delivered it was painted, with time to spare. Maybe next year, Saratoga’s tenth year, we will get the chance to use the rest of the set that was put into storage, built last year as a rep set. I already have ideas running through my head.
Pack a picnic and a blanket or chairs and try to catch the show before it closes Sunday the 27th, it is a hoot.
And check out the gallery pages for the AsYallLikeIt photos!

Thoughts after watching the Tony Awards

Ξ June 18th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

Here is a short rant about a few thoughts which came up during my viewing of this year’s awards….

I am not sure what the rest of the world has to say about the Tony Awards, but each year I look forward to hearing the winners of the scene design and lighting design awards. But why can it not be SEEING the work of the visual artists work? Last year I missed the pre-awards which I believe were on the local PBS station; luckily this year I was able to catch them on the web cast of the pre-awards. But I do have to admit I knew very little of the productions voted on this year, but expect on looking up most if not all the winning or nominated productions and reading them, then adding them to my ever growing library.
I would also like to ask if there was a way that stations, like PBS or maybe the Arts and Entertainment channel, present more plays from Broadway. I feel that Broadway believes that If the productions are filmed and recorded for the public; then who is left to see them live. I feel the die hards will continue going to the theaters; it is for people like myself, who cannot find the cash or more so the time to head down to the city and see the shows. I remember when I was younger, watching a lot more theatre on PBS than what I can find on the station now. For example, I remember “Billboards,” a presentation of dance done to the music of Prince and liking it so much, I went to the show when it toured to a theater near Buffalo. A good example that presenting theater on video is not a substitute for the live presentation, but more an advertisement. I do wish that I could see more theater; any theater. The only problem has been, I am too busy working IN IT, to see IT.
My goal this year is to to change that by trying to see more theatre in the capital region this year, and try to get to the city again for a Broadway production.

As You Like It @Union

Ξ June 18th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Gallery, Scene Design |

Finally, pictures from the Union College production of “As you like it” uploaded. It was a great ending to a great year. I designed the set to feel very natural as possible. It was suggested many times to use metal; but that took the design further from the natural woods feel. The biggest challenges for this production was the bridge, having it unsupported for 16 feet. The plan was to have it wide open for wagons to come and go under the bridge. In the end we cut all ideas of wagons for lesser furniture the best, to keep the flow from scene to scene fast. I wish I could have made that decision earlier in order to prevent the cutting the white cyc. I would have asked the director (William Ziskin) to have exits and entrances from the sides, then use the background fully textured with shadows of more trees. Speaking of trees… always use fake trees. I waited for the last week to install the real tress in order to make them last longer. They did not even survive the drive form Schuylerville to Schenectady. We tried the tree in bucket idea, but did not accomplish as much as hoped. By mid week the trees looked sickly. Next time I will go back to making trees, and trying to hot glue as many leaves as possible. Enjoy the pics.

End of Semester

Ξ June 1st, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |

This week ends the year of work at Union College. It has been one of my best years to date, and has shown me that I really do want to end up in the education system; when I feel there is no more to learn out in the real world freelancing. I did make the effort though to stay in the system while I was here, with a position that had opened up, but was denied to one single item. The MFA. Okay for some not a minor thing, but I believe with the experience that I have since my BFA in 93, as a bigger accomplishment and a great learning tool. I do not want to insult those with an MFA and say they wasted their time; but in the years I have seen better work in some without the MFA than some with the extra piece of paper. Again this is an art field. Some things just cannot be taught. With the leaving of Union I will be on to my search for the best MFA program for myself, to provide myself with the next level that employers are looking for. I never said I knew everything, and I know I will learn a lot more going back into school. I can focus on the designs and learning; instead of getting the design done so I can pay my next bill, which is how it feels sometimes. I have put together designs in one day with one reading, and still felt the show worked. I would like to put a design together and feel each one has come from in depth soul searching. I put it off for so long because of the general debt I built up with low paying theater jobs; but I have to find ways round that. Even if I have to sell my truck and anything else. Except the computers, of course. I am going to compact my life even more to one room, or to what can be put in one large trunk. Just stay tuned for what is coming next. Also stay tuned for pictures from Union’s production of “As You Like It” with my set design of a forest and bridge (unsupported by 16 feet). Very proud of the design, but I have even better ideas that could be added for the next forest design I work on. Oh, and I will try to remind people forever, It is usually better to make the fake tree, than keep a tree alive, or find one that is the exact dimensions you are looking for.

Succeed Gallery Added

Ξ April 17th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Gallery, Lighting Design, Scene Design |

Home Made Theater production of “How to Succeed in Business without Trying” closes May 4, 20008. The designs, yes designs, set and lights that I did were based upon some fabulous art deco images. You can get the feeling of the empire state building in the back wall, which is built with muslin, and the front portal walls were based on a door design like a metal railing. The reviews came up very positive for the whole production. I was very happy with how the set turned out. I ended up revising the floor design due to time constrictions, but that was the only revision I needed to make. Check out the new Gallery and see if you like.